A lawyer for a meat-packing plant in northwestern Missouri says it can begin slaughtering horses on Monday, but another lawyer who opposes the operation says restrictions in its wastewater permit prohibit horse-meat processing.

Saturday November 2, 2013, 7:31 am
Some hope for those of us fighting against horse slaughterhouses in the US.

“The permit is clear,” Jeffery said. “They can process anything but equine, and they can’t produce any wastewater from equine. If Missouri says you can’t produce waste from horses, how can you produce waste from horses?”

Bruce Wagman, lawyer for the Humane Society of the United States, said a similar wastewater restriction in New Mexico would prohibit the plant in Roswell, N.M., from opening as well. Wagman said he had filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver to overturn Friday’s ruling.

“We are hopeful that the Court of Appeals will reverse the decision and uphold the law and protect America’s horses,” he said in a statement Friday.

Two previous efforts in Missouri to resume the slaughtering of horses fell through in the past two years as backers declined to battle public opposition.

Saturday November 2, 2013, 7:41 am
Why are my tax dollars going to fund a USDA meat inspector for this when they've been cut under sequestration? If they have meat inspectors to spare, why aren't they back to safeguarding US food safety instead of an industry of no benefit to Americans or the use of our tax dollars???

Sunday November 3, 2013, 4:30 pm
Thank you Judy. The governor in Missouri is not exactly animal friendly. I shudder to think about slaughtering equines. Sadly the issue of horse slaughter is not covered by the media in Missouri, if people knew and spoke out against the cruel murdering of horses the slaughter houses would never open.